Comments on: Day of Faith Lawsuit

By: Atlee Yarrow

Atlee Yarrow — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 10:25:04 +0000

I would never have stepped back on this issue for a $5,000 pay off! If I have the time and background to follow through there would be $101,000 back in the taxpayer’s pockets and not city hall asking for a tax increase to pay even further another cause about God or the lack of God. Now I feel $106,000 short for the citizens and wonder about citing this for the next election to candidates listed for 2007.

By: Marc Holt

Marc Holt — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 08:12:03 +0000

’sonofdy’, you didn’t get it, did you? The aim of the lawsuit wasn’t to suppress free speech or freedom to worship. It was to force the city to recognize that they broke the law by using taxpayer’s money to hold a prayer meeting that had nothing to do with fighting crime.

So, where do you stand now? Wouldn’t you rather see your tax dollars spent on something meaningful, rather than gathering a bunch of people to mumble meaningless phrases in the hope that ’someone up there’ will do something about it?

Didn’t Jesus say something like, “God helps those who help themselves?” So get off your knees and DO something constructive with your life. Praying isn’t going to help.

By: MTran

MTran — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 02:41:15 +0000

sonofdy said:

So your friends here acheived only one thing. They managed to supress freedom of thought and speech.

I’m starting to think that sonofdy is simply a hate filled troll.

There was no suppression of speech or thought here at all.

The only illegal and unconstitutional action was by the mayor and the city, which improperly paid for and promoted religious activities with tax dollars.

We are all free to think or say what we choose under the 1st Amendment. Non-governmental entities may organize any prayer programs they like. But the mayor behaved improperly, illegally, irresponsibly, and offensively in this instance. He also wasted a lot of money in the process.

By: Siamang

Siamang — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:56:29 +0000

sonofdy,

Welcome. We are friendly atheists here. Be aware that we are here to seek understanding and treat with respect people with different beliefs.

Any citizen was free to organize a day of prayer in Jacksonville. You are still free to do it yourself, with thousands of your own friends and thousands of your OWN dollars.

Just not taxpayer money.

You have the freedom, and I’d fight for you to have that freedom. Just as I’d fight it if the city of Jacksonville used taxpayer money to have a “Praise Satan” day or a “Praise Scientology Day”.

Welcome. May you stay here a long time and learn about friendly atheists.

But, like most people who come here with a negative attitude… well, all people who come here with a negative attitude, I fear you will be just like all the rest. People come here spoiling for a fight, and preach at us, then leave one or two days later, never to be heard from again.

Will you promise that you won’t leave, and you’ll listen to some people here and allow us to change your mind about whether or not atheists are friendly, loving, kind-hearted people?

Anyway, welcome traveller, for as long as you stay. May you find what you seek here.

By: sonofdy

sonofdy — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:33:49 +0000

So your friends here acheived only one thing. They managed to supress freedom of thought and speech.

Welcome to the atheist dictatorship.

By: monkeysuncle

monkeysuncle — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:13:50 +0000

I note with some interest that the mayor claimed that the $101,000 was money well spent. Since the prayer rally didn’t accomplich its intended purpose (homicides continued at the same rate as previous), the mayor may have been referring to his chances for re-election.

Nothing fails like prayer. They should have hired more cops.

By: hell’s handmaiden » Blog Archive » Mumbling to oneself == Lower crime rates

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:36:50 +0000

[...] Friendly Atheist also points out that Jacksonville, Florida spent $101,000 of taxpayer money to pay for a prayer meeting. [...]

By: Enlightenment and Revolution » Religious Insanity

Enlightenment and Revolution » Religious Insanity — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 05:44:49 +0000

[...] When you hear about religious fanaticists denying children medical care, choosing to cure with prayer instead, it’s easy to see how crazy that is… but when a political leader decides to spend more than $100,000 to arm its citizens with “prayer” to combat a city’s ridiculously high murder rate instead of reinforcing its police force… 6,000 people rally behind him? [...]